The Stone of the Sun
by Ashbug22
Summary: In the Kawaru region, each quadrant only has one season year round. Kiya and others must protect the region from a coming evil by protecting the stones. Could an initially rival-like, dark romance reveal the true character of a supposed Villain? Character driven story. Intensive Plot. Review and let my know what you think.
1. Chapter 1: Friend and Foe

First story in a while, let me know what you think! Also I'm looking for an editor :)

Also know that this story will be very plot intensive and character driven. We don't actually get to Kiya's back story until much later on, we are focusing more on setting up the plot. Also not to spoil but there will be a dark lover with his own haunting past, so look forward to it :)

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><p><span>The Stone of the Sun<span>

Chapter 1: Friend and Foe

Always had it lured her. Amber glitters and flickers, vibrant strokes of crimson licking the open night air, and bashful pinks seen only by the most long studied admirer. The warmth, the heat had a strange way of sending chills down her bones. It was an intoxicating place that seemed so familiar.. yet seemed so mysterious and threatening. A strange place it was for Kiya, a young woman at age twenty, yet it was a place she could not seem to stay away from either. Kiya paced around the uneven, black surface, circling in a restless manner.

Many times had she been here, usually in the dead of night, when sleep evaded her and the fire whispered her name. The bubbling lava entranced her by its beauty and left her in awe by its power. The volcano was an active one, occasionally allowing its contents to runs down its north side toward the pokemon inhabited bad lands. The bad lands were made up of active lava, hardened lava and burned land. It was a perfect place for fire type pokemon. People themselves did not dwell here. Due to the structure of the volcano lava tended to only make its way to the north side, to the bad lands. The jungle in the west generally remained unharmed and was filled with life. The east and south of the volcano was encompassed by a vacation destination city called Callani. Callani was a tropical warm city that on one end had the volcano and on the other had a large river that branched from the ocean. This city had not been touched by their volcano for thousands of years, only ancient peoples depict a time their volcano did turn against them. But that was in the accident days when The Great Darkness had taken place. In modern times, most saw the volcano as a tourist attraction rather than a threat. Reverence for the volcano was a lost tradition few still practiced.

Kiya circled tonight, restless and uneven. Often the volcano beckoned to her and made her as restless as a prowling Pyroar. Other times it was a sweet escape, a warm, nurturing being that brought comfort and rest. Other times a simple, beautiful pleasure. When the night was old and free of other beings Kiya snuck up to her friend and foe. Tonight was such a night, except… it was different than the rest. The air was harsher and thinner. The lava bubbled menacingly, not in spite but in warning. It stuck fear in Kiya, forming a lump deep in her throat as she paced, wild with anticipation. Something was coming, something was changing in the very air. Kiya stopped pointedly and turned toward the eye of the volcano. She stared into it eagerly but with a fierceness.

The volcano smoldered under her eyes, speaking, angry and warning. The sight sent her legs shaking with not only fear but a strange excitement.

"I can take it" she whispered to the volcano, afraid, but certain. In what seemed like a reaction, the lava grew even more threatening. It began to swirl, rumble and sway. The lava drew nearer to her as it attempted to leave its container made of earth. Kiya stumbled backward, unable to stand the intense heat of the nearing lava. From deep in the earth the lava ventured to the surface, at an increasing rate before it emptied out the northern end, via a path carved by thousands of years volcanic eruptions.

The heat was too intense; Kiya was in too close a proximity of the gushing lava to be safe. Beads of sweat trickled down her as she headed for the southern exit, off the volcano and toward Callani city. However the heat was draining her quickly, sucking out her energy. It wanted her there. She had accepted and the volcano now intended to claim her. The friend, the foe.

This was the last thing Kiya remembered before the smoke of the volcano faded to black and the heat filled her body entirely.


	2. Chapter 2: Stolen Diamond

Chapter 2: Stolen Diamond

"Oh thank Arceus!" cried a shrill female voice.

Slowly Kiya's world came into a fuzzy blur of color with ambiguous, frantic noises. Soon those noises became voices and the fuzzy colors became familiar faces within a hospital room.

"Kiya Lilianna Diamond" sounded a gruff, deep male voice as Kiya blinked and attempted to sit her body upward in the white hospital bed.

"Kiya, sweetie pie! You are awake, oh honey I was so worried!" cried the shrill voice that belonged to a blonde woman with large bright red lips and a tiny frame. She chest was unnaturally bulbous and her skin unnaturally tight. Everything on her seemed unnaturally too big or unnaturally too small. All tweaked since birth, all fake.

The short woman with manipulated proportions made a click clack noise as she stepped forward and hugged Kiya with a tight embrace. Kiya's face twitched with pain, confusion and discomfort. Physical touch had always had her incredibly uncomfortable.

"Cindy, stop. She still hurt" Said the gruff voice as its owner pulled the short woman off Kiya. The owner of the gruff voice was a man in his fifties dressed in an expensive looking business suit. He had deep brown eyes that seemed like they were once warm but cooled over time. His face was hard and well-worn for his age. He had surprisingly thick grey hair styled and neat, ashy with whatever color it had been before.

Kiya's mind was coming back to her as she recognized her father and Cindy, her father's long-time girlfriend. Cindy was a fairly nice lady, she had been the most consistent of her Father's girlfriends since Kiya's mother's passing during her birth. After her mother Lilianna had died, Kiya's father John had been with many different women, all after his money. Kiya suspected her father had never really gotten over the death of his late wife, one reason he never married again. Cindy herself was likely not the only girlfriend John currently had, but she was the one that kept coming back and that had been most with Kiya growing up. Kiya had even suspected Cindy to be John's favorite girlfriend, not that he would ever say or do anything to suggest it.

Cindy didn't have many thoughts in her great big blonde hair and both took and showed love through money and things. Cindy was certainly no mother figure to Kiya but was indeed the closest thing to it that Kiya had.

"Cindy.. I'm okay. It's okay Dad, I'm fine" Kiya lied as pain bit at her.

"I just knew you would be Moon pie! Don't worry one bit after this Cindy's gonna buy her Moon pie something shinny and expensive to make her all better and-" Cindy gushed as she used her short arms to grab Kiya's hand.

"You mean I'm going to buy it and you are going to give it to her." John interrupted with his usual stern demeanor. John then turned to Kiya, with both concern and frustration. "You really okay?" John asked with an unusually soft mumble.

"Yes.. wha-" Kiya began before being interrupted.

"Good. Then then you can tell me why in hell you were on top of that Volcano again? Did I not tell you it was dangerous? Damn it Kiya I thought once you became an adult you stopped that crap?!" John yelled, obviously frustrated. His face turned a shade of red as he spoke.

"No, I just moved out so you did know, heh, but I'm sorry I worried you guys… How did I-" Kiya began but was again interrupted.

"And another thing" John started before lecturing furiously.

After letting out frustration and angry, he relented and pulled back into his usual stern and somber demeanor. It was a demeanor that Kiya had heard was different form the one he had before she was born.

"And I say this because.. er.. you know.. love and stuff" He concluded with a rare admittance of affection, a thing he had only ever given to Kiya since Lilianna's death, and something he had only done a scant few times in Kiya's life. Even as he said it, the words seemed forced. Meant, but forced.

"You too" Kiya agreed very uncomfortably, looking off in another direction as to avoid eye contact. She loved her father, and he loved her but saying so was an awkward thing for the two, despite meaning it. Love was not something that was talked about. Hugs were not a thing that just happened. Affection in general did not happen unless someone had almost died, such as today. This affectionless relationship would affect Kiya's future relationships all her life, as the concept of showing love was very foreign to her, something she ran away from. In fact she was hardly sure she had it for anyone besides maybe her father and Cindy. Even that love was an elusive and mysterious beast.

"But Dad… how did I end up here? How did you find me?" Kiya asked, normally as brave as a braviary but in the presence of her father, more subdued.

"The volcano erupted as it always does into the bad-lands. A team of my researcher has been investigating the volcano recently, I believe I told you before, they are trying to see if the volcano could create more hot spring for us. So the eruptions are of particular interest." John Diamond stated matter-of-factly. He did not view the volcano with great respect as few little did. He saw it as a way to further his business.

The John Diamond had founded Diamond springs, which is where his wealth came from. John Diamond was a big name in Callani for this reason, as an owner of one of the major attractions in the area. Diamond springs was not only the largest hot spring resorts in the region but also was within one of the main vacation destinations in the region. Callani not only had the volcano and Diamond hot springs but also had old ruins in the jungle nearby (not an attraction for your regular tourist, but very attractive to your wondering adventurer), a few amusement parks, the famously clear watered river, and many shops and hotels.

"So using the volcano for profit then? Typical" Kiya retorted with a frown. Her environmentalism acquired by her love and respect for nature was often a topic of disagreement between her father and she.

"My scientists found you, so you should be grateful." John said gruffly back, folding his arms in an annoyed business man sort of way.

"Nature should not be manipulated for profit" Kiya frowned.

"Running water. Electricity. Pumping" John countered. He was somber and strict but a great businessman. He had also had this conversation with Kiya a thousand times before. Kiya just stared back at him, knowing she was defeated. "And, Kiya… they found you under strange conditions…" John added sounding more worried again as new thoughts seemed to fill his mind.

"Oh heavens yes! All covered in black soot and naked! How embarrassing! They said it was as if the volcano had swallowed you whole and burnt everything on you and around you! Which means we need to go shopping Moon pie, we need to replace it all!" Cindy said in her high pitched squeak, her little feet dancing around just recalling what she was told.

Kiya felt her heart drop as she touched her face and arms with her hands. "B-but, I'm not burned!" Kiya cried as she noticed one of her fists had been balled up with something inside.

"It's the strangest thing isn't it? Poor little moon pie, you must have been so scared! Arceus its self must have saved you!" Cindy gushed with emotion as her fake boobs quivered right along with her.

"She is lucky is what it is. Very lucky. My scientists say it could have been some kind of natural phenomenon, which surely it was" John said adamantly while giving Cindy a look to shut down her 'nonsense talk'. "For now, you need to rest though. I can already see talking to us is taking a lot out of you" John said, unfolding his arms and nodding to Kiya as their usual form of goodbye.

"Yes, yes. Nurse said we could only have a few minutes after you woke up. See you Honey, bye bye!" Cindy added before the two left, ushered out by a nurse that seemed as if she was impatiently waiting for them to leave.

The nurse bustled around then along with two chanseys, checking the machines Kiya was plugged into. Kiya felt very drowsy, not entirely sure what had happened in what she was told was just the day before. She slowly uncurled her balled up fist. Inside it was the most beautiful red stone she had ever laid eyes on. She had seen a lot of gems in her life, being around Cindy particularly, but this was unlike any stone or gem she had ever seen. Color, life swirled in the gem. Crimson streaks, amber glitters, vibrant golds. It seems to hold flames itself. In fact, it felt warm in Kiya's hand, unnaturally warm. The stone reminded her of a fire stone she had seen in one of the Callani shops, used to evolve fire pokemon. However this stone was significantly different. Kiya moved the stone in her hand around to see a burn in the shape of the stone. Her body felt bruised and painful but this was the only real burn she could find on her body. It didn't even look like a normal burn, deep red, as if in-printed.

The nurse drew near then and Kiya instinctively closed her fist back around the stone. "Okay Ms. Diamond, I am going to administer more sedatives for the pain. Try to sleep so you can recover. Kiya nodded before slipping into a deep sleep.

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><p>"Something… is touching me" Kiya thought half consciously. Heavily drugged, Kiya strained to open her eyes as she felt hands on her, trying to move her. In her foggy vision an image of hooded figures seemed to flash through before she felt what she recognized as the cool night air on her skin. That was all her will could force her consciousness to pick up before the sedatives took her consciousness again.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Leonidas the Hero

Chapter 3: Leonidas the Hero

"It chose a pretty one" said a male voice.

"Dull looking if you ask me. Brown eyes, brown hair. Common" said a haughty sounding female voice.

"Quiet you two! That matters not. What matters is that it accepts her body" said an old voice.

Kiya blinked awake, filled with fear at her sudden swirling thoughts and new environment. To her horror she was in a dark place, a place made with old stone blocks. Ancient looking in fact, similar to ones she had seen in the jungle near Callani city.

"Quickly now, we must hurry!" said another older voice. Kiya realized she was being bound by rope to what felt like a stone structure of some sort. There was little light for her to see beyond the immediate area but she had a feeling the place she was in was huge because the voice around her echoed slightly. Around her where seven hooded figures, two of which had just completed binding her arms and feet to the stone structure. These two had the young male and female voices. The other hooded figures seemed much older.

"What the hell is this?!" Kiya screamed, suddenly filled with adrenaline. Candle light allowed her to barely make out the area. Her heart was pounding deeply against her chest as she struggled to break free with no success. Kiya was hushed by one of the hooded figures who had something red and brilliant in his hand. The object sparkled even in the dull light. Kiya gasped realizing the object was the red stone she had woken up holding. "I swear I don't know how I got that! I woke up with it in my hand, I- I-" Kiya screamed, feeling utterly helpless.

"Hush child, don't make this any harder on yourself" said an old female voice from within a hooded figure. The light was too faint too see the faces within the hoods, they cast too deep a shadow. The figures began drawing nearer, encroaching upon her while chanting something in a language Kiya had never heard before. Kiya was screaming at the top of her lungs. She then saw pokemon deep within the shadows, seeming to be casting their powers upon her. Kiya noticed she was again naked; her hospital gown had apparently been taken off and a brown cloth had been tied around her lower half. Her screams did not relent but seemed to drown into the chanting of the hoods who had drawn very near her. The hood in the center, holding the stone stared directly into Kiya's eyes. Kiya could not see the person but knew who ever it was, was searching her soul there. In an instant this same figure plunged his fist through her chest, with the stone in his fist. Kiya let out a blood curtailing cry that seemed to cause some of the hoods to flinch. Kiya bewildered by her continued consciousness felt the hand in her chest slide fingers around her beating heart. The hand pressed the stone against her heart. Then, a strange thing happened. She felt a strange, changing, growing feeling begin.

The hooded figure tore his hand away as if in great pain. "Put her out!" he yelled before Kiya felt the dust of a pokemon's sleep powder.

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><p>Kiya awoke on a slab of stone. She had been dressed in a robe like the hoods had worn and her body felt free of pain aside from a small pain in her chest. Kiya grasped at her chest, searching for the hole that had been made there. She felt no hole, Kiya grabbed her mouth to hold in her scream of terror. Quickly she looked around. It was day now so she could clearly see she was in a massive temple. The floors and celling where made of stone and there where stone pillars lining the walls. However the walls were open, only the pillars help the celling up. Because of this Kiya could see that the Temple was on a cliff over-looking the ocean. The land around it was a vast, scorching desert. In the temple Kiya spotted a statue, one of the hero Leonidas. He was a hero of ancient Legend, said to have saved the region from The Great Darkness in ancient times. Or at least that was the legend, no one saw it as true history. This statue however, much to Kiya's horror was splashed with blood. The blood ran down the statue in a way that looked consistent with what had been done to Kiya. She then realized this was she had been tied to; the stone structure was a statue of the hero Leonidas.<p>

Kiya muffled another scream. "I need to get out of here" She thought, hobbling onto her feet, her body feeling foreign to her. She noted that her chest felt strange and heavy, something deep within her felt different. Out of a door that seemed to lead to a closed in part of the temple with walls came the hooded beings. "Crap!" Kiya yelled breaking into a broken run.

"Darmanitan" said one of the hooded people. A large red Darmantian walking outside the temple, as if patrolling leapt toward Kiya and grabbed her in its large hand. Kiya squirmed and screamed in its grasp.

"Calm down young one, you disgrace the stone" said one of the hoods in an old voice. The figures then take off their hoods. There were six older people and two younger. Kiya recognized the young male and female to their voices from the previous night. One of the older men neared the front; Kiya knew in the pit of her heart was the man who plunged his hand through her chest.

"Get the hell away from me! You Satanists, voo doo weirdoes! I am done being a sacrifice or whatever the hell is going on here!" Kiya roared, fiery hatred in her voice. Kiya's vehemence seemed to now actually strike some fear in the eyes of a few. Kiya noticed the pokemon Delphox, Ninetails, Solrock, Chandelure and Volcarona trailing them.

The man nearing the front, similar to how he had done before, unraveled something around his arm and out stretched his hand. Kiya quieted at the sight. It was horribly and freshly burned. The skin looked as if he had dipped it in lava. She touched her chest again, and again there was nothing. The old man nodded and wrapped his arm again. "I am Cesar" said he. "I believe we owe you an explanation" he said signaling the Darmantian to let go of Kiya.

"Damn right you do!" Kiya roared back aggressively, still keen on getting away but realizing running through the desert or off the cliff where also both bad options.

Cesar cleared his throat before speaking "Your frustration is understandable, but do keep your head, you contain the stone. It is a revered object" Kiya's eyes glowed with furry mixed with confusion. "Do you know the legend of Leonidas?" he asked cautiously.

"Everyone does. Leonidas saved the region during The Great Darkness. What does that have to do with me?" Kiya growled in frustration.

"Yes he did, and do you know how?" Cesar asked.

"Leonidas consumed the four stones of the each quadrant of the region. Each stone was said to keep nature in balance in each of the four parts. Which is why Aress is always in a state of winter, Catina always spring and Alumina always Autumn. It's why it's always summer in Callani city, because we live in Chantara, the quadrant of eternal summer. The four quadrants make up our region, the Kawaru region. The stones are said to be the reason we stay only in our particular seasons in each quadrant where as other regions go through all the seasons. Our way of having seasons doesn't effect other regions because the stones are so far from the other regions. So since Kanto is the closest region to us, it's still not affected. But that's supposed to just be a myth. My father says there are geographical reasons Kawaru has segmented seasons.." Kiya said trying to figure out where exactly Cesar was going with this.

"And how did consuming the stones save the Kawaru region?" Cesar prodded, folding his hands like a teacher might.

"Well... If I remember correctly, Leonidas consumed them because a dark pokemon was trying to move them somewhere else to create eternal darkness in our region. The pokemon loved darkness and had taken them to another region, causing the elements in the Kawaru region to get out of whack and causing The Great Darkness. It also screwed up the weather in the Hoenn region for a short time long ago, causing the pokemon Groundon and Kyogre to feud. Even after the stone came back here it took another pokemon to calm them, I forget the name… But anyway then Leonidas found the dark pokemon, defeated it and brought the stones back to the Kawaru region. He made a temple in each quadrant to protect the each stone controlling that season….." Kiya gulped as dots began to connect.

"And…" Cesar prodded softly.

"Er.. and when a powerful human loyal to the dark pokemon emerged to steal the stones once again Leonidas swallowed the stones to protect them… and that sort of where the story lets off. He saved the region. You must be asking me this to say that the stone I had was the stone of the sun that keeps summer here. But even if that's true, why would you put that stone in my heart? How am I healed? Really none of this makes any sense" Kiya said more confused than angry at this point.

"Because that's not where the story ends. That's where common knowledge ends, but here is what you don't know: Leonidas swallowed the stones and the powerful human cut him open and took the stones. Leonidas was indeed a hero and saved the Kawaru region for a time but what happened after than was largely kept secret by the monks of each temple he established. Our ancestors where followers of the brave Leonidas and over the generations we have kept our history, our secrets and our practices of the stones. We did not tell the world what happened next as to keep his heroism what he was known for, not his death. The dark and powerful human had actually been the one to send the dark pokemon in the first place. He wanted many riches, wealth. The way he went about getting that was taking the weather away that each quadrant had relied upon for crops, culture and many other things. Especially today people base their entire lives around the climate they live. As it is today it was then, the quadrants could not handle weather other than what it knew and its landscape grew accustomed to, what the pokemon that live in each place could handle. When the dark human took away the weather he made many threats and demands in order to get riches. It caused The Great Darkness, all the elements were thrown out of wack and his dark pokemon was indeed ordered away with the stones. Leonidas did defeat it, establish temples and ate the stones. After the dark human cut them out of his belly, our history is cut off. Over the centuries thieves and other villainous characters have come to each of the temples to learn our secrets for profit. They have taken the history of what happened after that, when our region was restored by some means. What we know is what little each temple had left of their written history to share and combine with other temples. " Cesar stated gravely.

"The environment being in disarray is a grave issue. I have spent enough time with the Callani volcano to know nature is an extremely powerful force we must preserve. Still though, none of this is telling me why you shoved your fist through my chest" Kiya said, annoyed again but not without bewilderment.

"Because the blessed little bit of information we could find. But a scrap of torn scroll left behind. It was found in the Ice temple, communicated through psychic pokemon. It tells of a ritual that some believe may have been involved in saving the region. Some think it was just an ancient practice fate gave us to save us one day for the future, should an evil arise again. Some of us think Arceus himself left it behind for us. I believe none of these things. In my studies it looks like the writing of a monk from long ago that was viewed as quite drastic in practice. He experimented with pokemon to do rituals such as these and it was largely frowned upon by other monks. This was in my opinion, and based on the ink, occurring in centuries far closer to ours than that of The Great Darkness. The writing tells of a possible method of protecting the stones. It theorizes, never inferring it had been put into practice due to the dangerous nature, that one could merge with the stone… through methods such as the ones we used with you…" Cesar said attempting to go on but was cut off.

"You mean to tell me, that I am an experiment. Monks of legand kidnaped me and plunged a magical stone in me and now I am part of that stone" Kiya said dripping with sarcasm and new vehemence at the idea of being a science project.

"The stone changed your heart and became a part of you. The human you were no longer exists, and neither does the stone. Now you are one new being. If you do not believe me, examine yourself in our bathing quarters, tell me if there is not something you find convincing" Arthur said with a smug smirk across his old face. The old man seemed well read but a little drastic himself. Kiya frowned at him, not entirely confident in her opinion. The young female monk stepped aside and led her into the other portion of the temple. The young monk led Kiya into what looked like ancient bathing quarters. The walls of the bathing quarters were made of a strange reflective stone that acted as a mirror. Kiya neared the reflective surface, unsure of what she was supposed to be looking for. Kiya looked into her own eyes then. At that moment Kiya realized she did not recognize her own eyes, quickly she turned toward the young female monk.

"These are not mine!" Kiya said frantically point to her eyes. "I mean they look like mine… except they are the same burring red as the…" Kiya trailed off.

"As the stone of the sun?" said the young female with a grimace. Kiya nodded, shaking lightly. "take your clothes off" the woman added.

"W-what?" Kiya sputtered at the sudden suggestion.

"Ugh, just take them off and look at yourself. That's why you are here, you don't think you could simply look at your eyes in front of everyone out there?" the woman muttered, turning slightly but still keeping a close eye on Kiya. Kiya frowned at her, knowing she was being monitored in case she tried to escape. Kiya turned back toward the reflective rock walls and let her robe drop to the cold stone floor. Kiya gasped at the sight of two licking flames, one on each side that followed along each hipbone. From the front, it did not look too drastic. Two small flames in a style similar to a deep red tribal tattoo along her hip bones and there were to smaller similar ones just below either breast. Kiya then turned to see what these flames connected to. Behind her was a full back of licking flames. Mostly her back was made of her own skin, but between slices of skin were slices of dancing flames. Kiya looked down at her hands, there were no new markings other than the one in the palm of her hand that had been left by the stone. Kiya turned toward the woman, bewildered.

"That's all, now put your clothes back on" The woman suggested, trying not make eye contact.

"You mean I don't have to check my vagina?" Kiya smirked sarcastically. The young woman rolled her eyes and lead Kiya back out after she put her robe back on.

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><p>"I still don't understand why" Kiya said, finally with a cool head as she emerged from the other part of the temple.<p>

"Why what?" Cesar asked inquisitively.

"Why you felt like you needed to do this to me in the first place" Kiya replied. The girl that lead her huffed loudly and rolled her eyes.

"Candina, respect" Cesar corrected the young woman. "We did this because we needed to protect the stones. We never intended to ever preform the ritual… but we got word from the Temple of Shadows in the quadrant of eternal Autumn. They have many shadow, psychic and dark pokemon there. Their pokemon began to have visions of a coming evil... One that threatened the stones. There have been attempts by a group called Team Gemstone, some very close to succeeding, to steal the stones. So we had to do what we could. If the stones were used for evil purposes… we could have a modern day Great Darkness" Cesar said eerily.

"A modern day Great Darkness would be catastrophic on the land, the people and the pokemon.. I could never allow… But.. why me? Why steal a woman in the hospital? Why not one of you? Plus can't they just cut the stone out of me too? How am I really protecting anything?" Kiya said betraying her willingness to believe.

"That's a good question. Why YOU?" Candina muttered low enough that Cesar did not catch it, her sandy blonde hair shifted under her agitation. The young male monk next to her nudged her with his elbow. "Ow, stop Dillon" she said to the young man.

"Because the stone chose you. We had done a ritual with our pokemon that allowed the stone to seek it's choice host. It found its way to you… for one reason or another you are its choice to join with. And that is the beauty of it and the reason we chose to go through with all this. You joined, two things are one. They can't cut it out of you. However that's the possibility for disaster too… Should you choose to end summer here, so could you…" Cesar stated, looking in Kiya's face for a hint of her intentions.

"Y-you mean I control… the climate here? I am the stone… How will this affect me?" Kiya asked noticing the warmth coming off her new markings.

"Well there is what you have observed in the wash room. You can by will choose to deactivate or activate the stone should you choose. Other than that, I am uncertain there should be any other change. I suspect that you might have a strong commune with fire pokemon, as these pokemon have the strongest respect for the stone of the sun. That is all that should be different… Hopefully it will work as we hope… The other temples are also trying the same process. I know that the temple of the eternal spring has had several deaths so far.. We theorize that the stone had not picked the most suitable host.. I had doubt such a host existed. Alas you are the first to survive in whole, and the Temple of eternal summer's first try" Cesar smiled raising his fist into the air. The other monks also rose their fists as they did a gleeful chant. Their pokemon seemed to also be doing the same.

"Others have died?" Kiya questioned feeling disturbed but strangely lucky.

"Yes, a few from the land of spring. The lands of Autumn and Winter have yet to perform the ritual, though they are working fervently to achieve it considering the constant attacks. Which brings us to our final item. We need you to travel. Far from here. Anywhere not in this quadrant but still in our region. Outside our region, the stone cannot reach us but in another quadrant it is thought that the stone can still give Chantara summer without disturbing anything, but in an opposing quadrant to the stone's original position is where team gemstone will never look. We want to hide you deep in the quadrant of eternal winter. We need you to run until we can find another means to defeat the evil. I trust the stone chose someone formidable enough for this task. Or we hope and pray it has…" Cesar confessed, staring deeply into Kiya's eyes as if searching for this answer there.

In the same breath Kiya began to ask another question when there was a large explosion coming from the direction of the closed off portion of the temple.

"Another attack.. Quickly girl, what is your name?" Cesar asked in a panic.

"Kiya Diamond… Do not worry Cesar. I understand where you are coming from, I have always felt the pull of the volcano and a commune with nature since I was a little girl... it makes sense now. As if the stone had always known I was the one for it… I can see even by my own body that what you say is true. I can see it by my history, all the strange things that happened. I.. can't let others suffer either, I must keep nature in order, I cannot fail." Kiya relented, hardening her posture. Her respect for the balance of nature was evident in her demeanor, much the opposite of her father.

"I put my hope in you Kiya Diamond, may the spirits of protection watch over you. We will find another way to defeat this new evil and I will contact the other temples. Now go! Young ones, see that she safely leaves the temple!" Cesar cried, motioning the two young monks and Kiya to run. Kiya, Candina and Dillon nodded adamantly and ran toward the other end of the temple and toward the desert followed by the chandelure and ninetails. The other monks and their pokemon ran in the opposite direction, the direction of the explosion.


	4. Chapter 4: Playing with your food

Chapter 4: Playing with your food

Kiya, Candina and Dillon ran out of the temple and into the surrounding desert area. "This way" Candina motioned as she headed toward a sandy cave that seemed to go underground, the only other structure in the vast desert besides the temple. In the cave Dillon commanded his Ninetails to light torches that had already been set aside in the dark cave. With haste, the five ran deeper into the darkness.

"Where are we going?" Kiya huffed as the group ran as fast as they could.

"Fayala Village. It's the closest populated area. But to get there we need to cross the desert, the safest and shortest way is through this cave system. It should open up past the desert, in the forest near Fayala." Candina huffed. After running deep into the cave for a long period of time, no sounds of being followed were ever heard.

"I don't think they followed us. They must not have figured out we ran in here" Kiya said as the group slowed to a fast walk.

"Or they are on their way to get us now" Candina counter but still slowed to a walk.

"Well, I'm exhausted. So is ninetails. Plus we can't run all the way there. It's a two day trip" Dillon said, obviously out of breath. "And.. I mean, the barer of the stone just went through something pretty traumatic. She is probably hurting" Dillon added in an attempt to coerce Candina.

"Don't worry about me, I feel fine aside from the pain in my heart" Kiya said with a smile.

"Er.. yeah I'm sorry about all this by the way… D-don't smile at us. We don't deserve it after kidnaping you and… everything else" Dillon said with guilt. Kiya noticed his face now, he had naturally droopy eyes and a small jaw. His framed seemed bulky from what one could tell by a man wrapped in a robe.

"You had to, for the sake of the Kawaru region. I would have done the same thing as you. I understand that my sacrifice is necessary to keep the environment in balance. That's something I have always been willing to sacrifice and fight for and that isn't stopping here" Kiya said as they walked along, recalling her many fights with her father on the subject and her many efforts to make Diamond springs more ecofriendly.

"Psh.. Don't feel so guilty all the time Dillon. She is privileged to bear the stone. She should be thanking us for giving a nobody special something so vital" Candina said, again quickening her pace.

"The hell is wrong with you?" Kiya retorted, caught off guard by Candina's seemingly blind hatred for her.

"The hell is wrong with me? You really want to know Miss flabby ass?" Candina said stopping in her tracks.

"Flabby ass? Hey, my butt is far from flabby!" Kiya said stopping too, her face red from embarrassment, recalling Candina saw her undress in the temple washroom.

"I think it looks like a perfectly nice ass… a very nice ass" Dillon commented as if he didn't realize he was speaking out loud. Both Kiya and Candina shift their gaze from each other to Dillon. "Uh.. wha- I mean, I um, I said respect the stone host. I, yes that is what I said." Dillon stammered. Just then Kiya noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye and her face grew wary. Candina saw it too because her expression had changed drastically. Dillon however was busy reciting a list of words that sounded like ass, which he could have possibly said instead as he tried to convince the girls that they had miss heard him.

"A nice pass. I mean, no I said a nice glass, yes that one. Glass. Not sexual." Dillon continued. Kiya and Candina turned to face the figure, staring back at them with a devilish grin and bright wolf like eyes.

"Why, hello there" said the figure as he emerged from the shadows, his eyes looking upon them greedily, light green hair adorning his face. It was a man, likely in his mid-twenties with a strong, angular jaw and mocking amber eyes. He neared the group and Dillon who finally realized the situation ordered his nintails to stand in front of Kiya for protection. "Oh, giving me my answer so soon boy? You can die the quickest as a reward, how about that?" he laughed.

"You are an idiot Dillon" Candina said before ordering chandelure to also protect Kiya too.

"Yes, you made it quite obvious that the horribly pretty one holds the stone" said the amber eyed man as he bit his lip and examined Kiya.

"Get the hell away from me creep!" Kiya growled at him, like a warning sound. The sound seemed to bring the man pleasure. Kiya's personal space had already been violated already one too many times as of late, and the idea that it could be violated again caused her great stress and anxiety.

"Don't worry Kiya, he's alone and doesn't seem to have any pokemon with him. Ninetails and chandelure can handle this. Ninetails, fire blast!" Dillion called. From the shadows emerged several people with team gemstone uniforms on. They called forth their pokemon and crushed ninetails and chandelure due to pure out numbering. The two pokemon lay badly hurt on the cave floor. Candina called back her chandelure into its pokeball and Dillon ran up to his ninetails, embracing the creature with sorrow deep in his droopy eyes. The amber eyed man seemed to look away at this.

"You bastard.. This was a trap.." Candina said, glaring furiously.

"So the ugly one is smart" the amber eyed man smirked. Candnia's glare grew deeper. Candina was certainly not an ugly girl. Compared to Kiya, most women fell short but Candina was also pretty once one got past her haughty attitude. Her sandy blond hair curled and flipped around her face and her bright violet eyes were certainly a nice feature. "Yes that small group of team gem members were probably already taken care of by those old monks. We have been sending small groups to rustle feathers knowing soon the gem would be sent out for protection. And the fastest way out of this hellacious desert is this dark cave. So we have been waiting here, a truly boring job yes? But here you are, a much easier grab that you would have been protected in that temple filled with fire pokemon." The man smirked. The man neared Kiya, close enough to touch her now. Kiya stood bravely returning his stare as ferociously as she could. The man showed his teeth at the sight of her blazing eyes.

"I see why you are the one that holds it. It's like fire burns in you" said the man with a hint of fascination. "Alas, though, you will die too. Men, bring the other two out to the desert and kill them. I don't want their bodies to stink up the place. We will need to camp here tonight." Said their leader.

"No! You can't!" Kiya roared, throwing a punch at the leader. The man caught it and smiled, entertained by the effort. He held her fist as he looked at her. Under normal circumstances Kiya would have had deep distain for physical touch such as this. She did not grow up with affection like this, barley was affection even shown at all, in any form. Kiya cringed under the touch of friends, family or any other being bold enough to touch any part of her. She had a very large personal bubble, larger and more sensitive than most due to her upbringing. It was as if touch and affection were a fear for Kiya. Considering this about Kiya, the fact that this strange man grasped her fist sent her system into a panic.

"Oh yes, I can. Say good bye to the ugly thing and the idiot. I'm certain you can all met up in hell later" The leader responded as her forcibly held her fist, pulling her nearer before forcing her arms behind her and cuffing them together.

"Kiya! Save ninetails! Please! She is my best friend!" Dillon sobbed as the team gemstone members dragged him away from his ninetails. He was obviously unable to retrieve its pokeball from his pocket due to the man handeling. Ninetails lay there unconscious and badly hurt. Candina was dragged away too, kicking and screaming. Once they left other team gemstone members went about setting up camp.

"You, see to it that ninetails gets healed then put it in a cage until we recover it's pokeball" said the leader to one of the Team gemstone grunts.

"Yes sir, Admin Kane" the grunt replied before hurrying off with the ninetails.

"Now it's my personal pleasure to find out where exactly you are hiding the stone.. mhaha, so do I get to find out the fun way, or are you just going to me a good girl and tell me?" said Kane as his amber demon eyes sparked at Kiya, not far from her face.

Kiya frowned furiously, unable to hid her shaking at the notion of what might be about to happen. "I cannot tell him what happened. He might think he can still cut the stone out of my heart and if we are one that might only just kill the stone too… Urgh! I cant let that happen, but.. I don't know what to do!" Kiya thought, remaining quite but shaking, her gaze blazing.

"Ouch Vixen, you burn me with that look. But, to make up for it you have chosen the fun way, yes? How nice of you" Kane said grabbing the cuffs around her arms and drawing her so close to him that she could feel his breath on her neck. Greedily his hands searched her body as Kiya bit down on her lip and her nails dug into her own hands. His searching strangely cold hands ran along her fresh warm markings and through all her robe pockets. The sensation made her find a deep rage that she had never know existed within her. An anger so deep and penetrating that she wanted to not only harm, but kill. She looked at the man with meadow green hair and in her eyes was no longer fear and anxiety, but blood lust.

"You will pay for this" Kiya uttered, unable to get out any words but those, her furry too consuming to make any more words. All she wanted was blood.

Kane smirked at her in a self-deprecating way. "We all deserve to pay" he whispered before throwing her to the ground. "Where is the stone" Kane asked, no longer with an air of sick amusement but in a cold, dark and emotionless manor. A switch was flipped and he was no longer playing with his food. It was time to get to business.


End file.
